PROJECT ABSTRACT The K-INBRE Communications Core was developed to bolster the K-INBRE's efforts to coordinate a multi- pronged approach to expanding and advancing biosciences education and research among Kansas science researchers, educators, and students. With K-INBRE partner institutions and participants dispersed geographically across Kansas and Oklahoma, the Communications Core originally had the important and complex role of operating and maintaining K-INBRE's technical network, and facilitating operational communications of the program. As the Communications Core has grown, the K-INBRE Communications Core continues to expand its role and services for K-INBRE and the IDeA program. The Communications Core is now a central resource for network faculty, students and mentors to engage in a diverse array of professional development and engaged scholarship activities. For the new grant cycle, the extensive work will continue with new emphasis on the development of a robust data management, evaluation and scholarship initiative for the program. More specifically, the following 4 Aims are proposed for the Communications Core: 1) evaluating the effectiveness of programmatic and collaborative activities for continued improvement and scholarship of the program; 2) advancing and leveraging the K-INBRE infrastructure for professional development of students and faculty alike, filling a niche that may not be provided in degree programs or experiences; 3) enhancing the daily operational and programmatic communication between faculty, students, and project investigators among the partner institutions. Activities include undergraduate professional development, site visits, social media management, and other strategies, and 4) highlighting the role and accomplishments of K-INBRE and IDeA on bioscience education, research, faculty, and students engaged in the project. This has been accomplished through a variety of means but particularly by professionally-produced videos that showcase both K-INBRE and national IDeA faculty and students who have been highly successful in the program. A second IDeA video focused on students is currently in production and will be unveiled at the NISBRE meeting in June 2018. Overall the Communications Core has become an invaluable and critical resource for communications and data acquisition.